Alpino Detroit — Restaurant in Detroit

TL;DR Don’t have too high expectations. Think as casual meal. Don’t forget to order your dessert otherwise you miss a lot of good stuff! ————

I will give my honest opinion because I want them to be successful.

First off, I have been following them on insta for months, years wondering about this cool location untouched. So when I learned something new would come back, with the teams filled with former James Beard nominee restaurant cooks/servers I was so thrilled!

We visited on Saturday night, first weekend for them I think.

Service: Unfortunately, I would not say it’s bad, but really mediocre at best. Clearly understaffed, or not having enough experiences.I understand this is their first weekend, but if so, why did you fill all tables with reservations? The server for our table cannot really explain menu well, they did not have any pitch to explain their specialities etc. They barely introduced theirselves. Second server came to our table and say “so sorry for the wait, what would you like to drink?” 10 minutes after we ordered our drinks to another server. We waited 40 minutes before we get our first drinks from the time we seated. That’s a HUGE NO for a restaurant. And people waiting for tables are getting drinks before us?? We booked the table weeks before. Ladies next to us (who came same time) left before they got their drinks. Better keep the capacity low and make customers happy, than creating hangry customers.

Food/drinks: I need to say that I have very limited experience with alpine/German food experience. So some may be “authentic” and just did not suit my liking, but here’s my opinions for what we ordered.

GURKENSALAT; It’s a cucumber salad. Does not taste bad, but nothing really special. Put in a good way, rustic. Bad way - just a salty cucumber with pickled shallots.

Raclette : Another underperforming appetizers, for me. Potatoes seems to be sitting somewhere for a while before it’s served. Taste is ok, but again it’s really salty for what it is. I think this is the type of a meal that you need to cook perfectly, as everything is really simple.

Pesto Risotto: It’s good. Though, it’s good only because there’re good chunk of Pancetta in there. Otherwise it’s very bland. The rice was overcooked for a risotto, unless this is their intended result.

WIENERSCHNITZEL: First meal I really enjoyed from them. It’s still pretty simple and rustic, though it’s was cooked perfectly and the mushroom sauce complemented the fried beef perfectly. Added spatzle on side and it worked very well.

Drinks: We tried La Vie En Rose, Doromites, Mer de Grace. First two were good, but nothing more. They go well meals so I think that’s the point? The last one, was the winner of the night. It had perfect amount of sweetness from pear (leather) and I really enjoyed so much I switched my drink with my partner.

Dessert: They are also the winners for the nights as well. So glad we ordered, because otherwise the whole experience was “meh”. We ordered Rosette and Panna Cotta. Rosette had perfect amount of crunch, not too heavy ice cream. Just enough amount to get that sweetness. Relish worked really well on this. Panna Cotta was also delicious. It’s again, just enough amount of sweetness, and you get the crunch from Streusel. We both enjoyed these and finished them pleasantly.

Price point: It’s good. Not too expensive, not too cheap. Just in the middle. However I am not sure where the target. For the food price point, drinks are expensive. Way too obvious that you guys want to make profit out of drinks. $140 for two people with three cocktails, four meals and 2 desserts. The whole restaurant ambient feels somewhat fancy, and yet you get casual meals and mediocre service?

So here’s the conclusion. I wanted to like this place so I would say it was a bit of disappointment, especially this was meant to be my birthday dinner as well. I would say overall experience was 3.6, I decided to bump to 4.

Do I return? : Maybe. But not in this year. Probably next. Not worth to drive 45 minutes if they...

Had dinner with reservation on a Sunday. Parking was easy to find as the restaurant has its own lot. The interior is designed nicely, trying to give an impression of alpine ambience- I bet the fireplace is a great element in winter.

Since it was a reservation we texted (which I found a nice way of communicating) with someone from the restaurant about seating (2adults 1toddler 1baby), we wanted one high chair but it was not provided at the table. When asking in the first place, why not have it at the table when ppl arrive.

The drink menu is nice, they offer many alpine „regional“ brands. However the choice of glass is important if you want to be a restaurant which reflects the alpine culture. I ordered a Ayinger Weisse and was served a Pilsner glass. After mentioning this, I got the correct glass, but it was still warm from the dishwasher. (It also had a wrong size, but then they either need 0.3l glasses or offer more beer). If ordering a $11 beer, please make it a nice experience for the customer. My wife had a cocktail (Leone) which was very good. Other guests enjoyed their Hefeweizen (Weihenstefan) in correct glasses.

We had 2 Wiener Schnitzel. Looked forward to these since you do not see veal schnitzel often at all… In short, one was cut too thick or overcooked - it was tough. The other one was very tender. Overall the meat was prepared well, with the breading bubbling around it (talking about the one not overcooked). If they get the timing right, you have the chance of experiencing a good traditional entree there. „Choice“ of Sauce… there is none. Rahmsauce (Rahm - whipping cream) with mushrooms it is. Many ppl do not like mushrooms, they do not mention the mushrooms on the menu. They will not let you know there are mushrooms on top of the Schnitzel. I knew they did from looking at pictures of the meals and ordered them on the side. They came separately and I was happy about that. Main problem here… offer other traditional sauces! A sauce is made quickly, can be stored and is not too expensive for the restaurant. Zigeunersause? Bratensaft? The Rahmsoße is very good, no doubt. But for ppl who are not into mushrooms it is just not the right choice. I can’t rate the other menu items, didn’t try them,…

Sides. There are three of them. We ordered Spätzle (egg noodles) and Gurkensalat (cucumber salad). The quality of the sides is very good. We enjoyed them, but it is to mention that they are tiny. Spätzle is basically made from eggs and flour with water. It is a staple in alpine kitchen. It needs to be treated as rice is in a China restaurant. Instead, both Spätzle and Salad come in small, cup-like style. It is just not enough for $6. Very pricey, even for todays prices of eggs etc. again, both the Spätzle and the Salad tasted very good.

The kids! Restaurant specialized in alpine culture… and you have buckwheat noodle Mac and Cheese? Why not offer Cheese-Spätzle? Fries? We approached the waiter about kids items on the menu and they decided for the pickled and fried potatoes which are normally served with the fondue. The potatoes were good for use with fondue, but they were salty (pickled) and just not a snack for a kid. They had no ketchup, no mayo. We were not offered anything else and had not order additional side dish Spätzle to accommodate our toddler. Again…you have cheese, you have Spätzle. Voila! Alpine Mac and Cheese! Alpine restaurants offer fries too, they are everywhere. With the right setup you can make them fit the menu, just put alpine herbs on them or something. To add, they served water to our toddler in a normal size glass. No child/toddler sized glass or a plastic option. We did not ask for straws though. They also had to use adult silverware.

Overall our stay was not as enjoyable as it could have been. We did not experience much accommodations for things we mentioned or that were obvious and if the staff tried to accommodate, then they didn’t do a good enough job. We paid $100. One drink each. 2x Wiener Schnitzel +sides. The restaurant suggests tips...

SECOND VISIT:

My return to Alpino in Detroit exceeded expectations. The fondue was a star, a generous portion with crispy potatoes, apples, and heavenly bread. The gurkensalat was an authentic delight, and the wienerschnitzel impressed with its generous rahmsauce. Jasmine and Andre's cocktails were masterpieces. With impeccable service and top-notch dishes, Alpino deserves five stars, offering an authentic and delightful dining experience that calls me back for another memorable meal.

FIRST VISIT:

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Alpino, a new Alpine-inspired restaurant in Detroit. With its charming decor and location in the lively neighborhood of Corktown, I had high hopes for a delightful meal. The restaurant even has its own parking lot, making it convenient for customers. Stepping inside, the Alpine-themed ambiance felt just right, and the service was attentive. I couldn't resist trying their well-balanced drinks, and I highly recommend the Dolomites. Alpino stands out from other local eateries with its unique value proposition of their niche cuisine. As someone already familiar with this type of cuisine, I was eager to explore what Alpino had to offer.

Here's how I rated the dishes:

Charcuterie (6.5/10):

Priced at $18, I had expected a more generous portion on the charcuterie board. It would have been nice to have a variety of cheeses accompanying the meats. Nonetheless, the meats themselves were delicious, and the homemade mustard was a standout, adding a touch of excellence.

Chicory & Beets (8.5/10):

The Chicory & Beets salad was a winner, featuring a satisfying combination of flavors. The ample number of apples and beets added sweetness, and the crushed candied pecans provided a delightful texture. I would happily order this salad again, and it's generous enough for sharing between two people.

Tarte Flambee (3/10):

I had anticipated a thin and crispy classic Tarte Flambee (also known in Germany as Flammkuchen) but was disappointed to receive a regular round-style pizza instead. The presentation could use improvement, perhaps by serving it on a wooden plank rather than white/yellow checkered paper. The Tarte Flambee itself had a good taste, but it could have benefited from more Crème Fraiche. The Tarte Flambee also had too much grease on the top. The meat could be arranged in strips to cover a larger surface area to enhance the dish.

Gulasch (7/10):

The Gulasch, priced as a main course, came in a small portion for its price. While the beef was flavorful and tender, the overall seasoning fell a bit short. The spätzle, however, had a traditional preparation and provided a pleasant taste and texture. More sauce would have elevated the dish further.

Wienerschnitzel (7.5/10): The Wienerschnitzel (also called Jagerschnitzel because of the mushroom cream sauce) was delicious because of the crispy veal. The mushroom cream sauce stole the show, especially with the addition of morel mushrooms, which are quite an expensive ingredient. However, the dish could have used a larger amount of sauce. We requested more sauce but were surprised by a $2.00 charge that wasn't mentioned beforehand. Fortunately, the server eventually removed the charge. Instead of a la carte, the Jagerschnitzel could benefit from spätzle, which is a classic combination instead of ordering spätzle as a side for $5.

Alpino brings a unique taste to Detroit's culinary scene with its Alpine-inspired offerings. While I would gladly return for a drink at their beautiful bar, there are areas for improvement in terms of a full dinner service, especially since Alpino recently opened in May. If you're unfamiliar with this type of cuisine, I recommend giving Alpino a try to expand...